A New Year of Riders, an Inheritance Cycle fanfic
by SilverOwlDragon
Summary: Fifteen years after the war, the Riders are flourishing in their new home. One of the eggs from last year did not hatch, so this year there are three new Riders, two humans and a dwarf. Eragon, Arya, Nasuada, Angela, and Murtagh will all show up eventually. Reviews are greatly appreciated. I'll update when I can.
1. Chapter 1

**A New Year of Riders **

**Chapter One: The Eggs**

**I do not own Alegaësia, Dragon Riders, or the Inheritance Cycle. They are the property of Christopher Paolini. Any characters you don't recognize are mine.**

Kata screamed again, feeling her body straining to give birth. Perspiration made her dark hair stick to her face and her clothing stick to her body. She panted between screams, trying to catch her breath. The healers gathered around her, helping her through the birth.

Two hours later, Kata lay alone in the bed as healers washed her son in another room.

"You did bring this upon yourself," said her father. "If a daughter of mine can get herself pregnant by an unknown stable boy, she can certainly handle the consequences."

Kata groaned. Wasn't it enough to have been left by her lover and have borne his illegitimate child? Why did she have to be punished as well? Her body had certainly punished her. Now her father wanted to as well. And what could he do? Sell her? The slave trade had been outlawed fifteen years before. Imprison her? Most likely. Well, let him try. Her situation could not get much worse than it already was.

The next day, the Riders' ambassadors arrived in Gil'ead with three dragon eggs. It was unlikely that an egg would hatch for Kata, even if they let a young woman of nineteen try, but it was a chance to escape, and she was going to take it.

* * *

Vianna tried to make herself look small as she walked through Therinsford, hoping that people would ignore her. If she wanted to be a royal mage she would be one. And Queen Nasuada's mage finders hadn't come for her yet, though she knew it was only a matter of time before they did. When that time came, she would have to swear allegiance to the queen in the Ancient Language and use her power for the good of the village. Already, people asked her for help on every matter they could think of. Unfortunately, she was a powerful magician with very little training.

Vianna was sixteen, the age at which she would normally have been looking for a husband. Her parents had been members of the Varden before Galbatorix was killed and they moved back to Therinsford to live normal lives. Vianna had an elf name because of this. She barely remembered the days before they had moved here, and her fourteen-year-old brother Jordan did not remember anything at all.

Jordan was young and muscular, with a cheerful personality and a strong arm. Last year he competed in the annual games with the other races. Vianna and their father had travelled with him. If she had not been a magician, it would have been considered too dangerous for her to go with them, but she was, and so she had gotten one chance to see the world.

The games were held in the Spine that year, so it was not a long journey. As Jordan wrestled with Urgals, she talked to other magic users and watched the few elves present as they walked elegantly through the trees. If she did join the queen's group, at least she might be able to see elves again.

It wasn't the idea of helping people with her magic that made her resistant; it was the loss of free will. Living as a mage in a peaceful village during a peaceful era, she had more freedom than most girls could hope for–more than most even wanted.

Today the ambassadors brought the dragon eggs to Therinsford. She wondered what the point was in walking in front of them again. None had hatched for her last year. In fact, from what she had heard, one of the eggs had not hatched for anyone last year. This year there were three: last year's and two new ones.

Despite not seeing the point, she, along with her brother and every other young, unattached person in the village, lined up in the town square to touch the eggs. There were only two, and she did not recognize either one. So the unhatched egg had hatched after all.

Standing with the egg-bearers but slightly behind them was a young woman a bit older than Vianna. She had long golden hair and curves that drew the eyes of the young men in line. Vianna sighed inwardly. That girl was probably the new Rider. Even if an egg did hatch for her, no one was likely to pay her attention beside that girl. She was not unattractive, but she was thin and had thinner dark hair, and she could use magic, which meant that the young men gave her respect rather than admiration. This girl could break most men's hearts, and she probably did it unknowingly too.

Vianna sighed again and walked forward in line.

Both eggs were green, though in very different ways. The first one was larger and more of a grayish green–as grayish as it could be while still shimmering. The other was more blue-green, or maybe green shot through with blue. Or was it blue shot through with green?

She stepped forward and laid her hand on the grayish egg. Nothing happened. She not not expected it to. She moved on to the blue-green egg, hesitating for a moment to admire its beauty. Then she placed her hand on it, and warmth rushed up her arm. She shivered and placed her other hand on the egg as well. It shuddered and then cracked, revealing a baby dragon curled like a cat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Travel**

Two weeks later, Vianna, Kata, and a young, surly dwarf named Terren floated down the Az Ragni in an elf-made boat.

The last weeks had been strange for all three of them. After the last egg hatched for the surly and unenthusiastic Terren, the three of them travelled into Du Weldenvarden to meet Queen Arya and her dragon, Fírnen.

Vianna was impressed by the elves. They all had the freedom to do what they wished, without reference to gender or income or abilities. As a Rider, she knew that someday she might have that freedom as well.

She had named her dragon Opalla. Opalla could not yet speak, but Kata's dragon, Rubian, the first of the three to hatch, spoke to the five others often. Kata and Terren were surprised at the mind contact with their dragons, but Vianna was already used to it. She suspected that there might be many things about magic and minds that she would have to learn again.

After the elven court, they were taken briefly to the humans' capital of Ilirea and presented to Queen Nasuada.

Her Majesty was an imposing woman of about thirty with dark skin and hair. She had three children, but no one knew the identity of the father. The queen would never tell anyone his identity, in case it gave him power over her and her heirs.

While at the court, the three also saw their second full-fledged dragon and Rider pair: Murtagh and Thorn. Vianna knew very little about them, save that they had stayed in the mountains for almost three years after the queen took power, but that they were now often at her court. Vianna was interested in them, but not as interested as she was in the young woman with raven-black hair and purple eyes who roamed the halls of the palace. She had heard many more stories about this girl from her parents, who had been in the Varden when Elva was cursed.

_She's the same age as me_, Vianna thought, _and she's... well, more lack of a better description, a respected, independent–if lonely–person._

They did not stay long in Ilirea. They had to travel many leagues to reach the new home of the Riders, and their elf guides were impatient to be on their way.

**Sorry this was short. School just started. Yes, Angela will show up soon, and Eragon and Saphira will be in the next chapter. The dragons and the dwarf will also start to be actual characters. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Doru Deloi**

**Sorry it took so long to update. I'll try to get better. I do not own the phrase "convoluted plan" or any of the characters or words you recognize.**

Winter was beginning to set in when Kata, Vianna, Terren, the three dragons, and the elves arrived at Doru Deloi, the new home of the Riders.

the buildings were made of a strange combination of stone and wood, and they were as beautiful as the ones in Du Weldenvarden. What was stunning about them, however, was the size. Every building could hold a dragon ten times the size of any with their group, and there were other dragons. And other Riders.

Terren and Moscar, his gray-green dragon, stood slightly apart from the group, not quite involved in the wide-eyed admiration displayed by the others.

"I didn't think we'd really get here," said Kata softly. "It's still like a dream."

_Well, where did she expect us to end up?_ Vianna thought tartly. _We _are_ Riders, so we're at the home of the Riders._

_Don't be so cynical_, chastised Opalla in her deep but musical voice. _Kata has less world experience than you do. At least in the ways of magic_.

Vianna sighed inwardly. It was nice to have someone who knew her as well as Opalla already did, but she was not quite used to the complete lack of privacy.

"It is amazing," she agreed aloud.

She turned her eyes to the other Riders and dragons who walked the streets of the still small, raw city. She glimpsed two other humans, both walking beside their dragons in a businesslike fashion. There were several elves and dwarves as well, but surprisingly, what she saw the most of was Urgals.

Vianna had never seen a female Urgal before. Now, in less than ten minutes, she saw three. They were somewhat shorter than the men, but they still had horns, and their skin was gray. They, like all of the Riders, had lightly pointed ears.

An elf walked up to their group, and even Vianna was shocked at the sight of him. He was entirely covered in blue-black fur and clad only in a loincloth. He resembled a cat, and he smelled... like raw temptation. Vianna focused her mind away from the intoxicating smell and nudged Kata, who blushed and did the same.

"I am Blödhgarm," said the elf. "I am the teacher of the advanced magic students. If you will follow me, I will lead you to Eragon-Elda."

They followed, Kata still looking like the lovestruck girl she seemed to be and Terren looking surlier than ever. The streets wound through the buildings in what seemed to be a conscious, artistic, but convoluted plan. Near the hill that sheltered the city, they came to a large building, structured like a cave with vaulted pillars around the opening. The three dragon-Rider pairs entered behind Blödhgarm, their elven escort behind them. Inside, several more elves walked around, reading, writing, or working magic. Vianna also saw one human, an older man with grey hair and a dramatic scar. A giant mirror was mounted on a stand near a wall, and there were many scrolls and swords lying about on tables. There was only one dragon present. She was the largest dragon at Doru Deloi, though Vianna thought Thorn had been about the same size. She was sapphire blue, beautiful, proud, and regal. Her Rider stood beside her, speaking to the human.

So this was Eragon Shadeslayer. He did look like elf, though no elf had brown hair and eyes or such an honestly interested look. He was handsome in the way that elves were, but as a human Vianna doubted she would find him overly attractive. He wore an elven-style tunic and a sapphire-blue sword.

Blödhgarm approached Eragon and touched his fingers to his mouth. "Atra esterní ono thelduin," he said.

Eragon turned. "Mor'ranr lífa hjarta onr," he replied. "Are these the new Riders and dragons?"

"Yes, Eragon-Elda."

"Thank you, Blödhgram." He turned to their small group. "What are all of your names?" he asked.

They glanced at each other awkwardly. Then Vianna stepped forward. "I am Vianna, daughter of Ingrid."

The others introduced themselves, and Eragon nodded at each in turn.

_I am pleased to meet you, younglings_, said the blue dragon. _I am Saphira Brightscales, daughter of Vervada. This is my Rider, Eragon Shadeslayer, son of Brom. We, and the elves–_

"–And Jeod, the human–"

_–Will be your teachers. You will learn–_

"–Magic, fighting, reading, writing, philosophy–"

_–And anything else we see fit to teach you_, finished Saphira.

Vianna smiled at their union. She hoped that she and Opalla would have that one day. She nodded with the others, but her mind wandered from the formalities to dreams of what training would be like. At the end of the discussion, they were shown to structures in the western part of town where they ate and bathed and slept, knowing that the morning held more meetings and their first lessons.

, said Opalla.


End file.
